Can opener



July 9, 1935 J. F. PEcKHAM 2,007,584

CAN OPENER Filed June 21, 1954 2 sheets-sheet l INVENTOR. L70 2z'a%/ e0%am A TTORNEYS.

J. F. PECKHAM July 9, 1935.

CANHOPENER V Filed June 21, 1954 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 IN VEN TOR. cfosz'aj fif/ ttfid/a I ATTORNEYS.

Patented July 9, 1935 UNITED STATES "PATENT OFFICE This invention relatesto a can opener; and has for-one of its objects the provision of a can opener which-will. be assembledwith. the can as 'a permaneiit part thereof. k y i T Another object of the'invention is the provisionof a can opener whichv may be more easily operated .than any can opener with which I am familiar. I a H Another object of the invention is the provision of a can opener ,which; as it operates, causes that portion of the can which covers the opening,

. which is to be made .for'access tothe contents of the can, tobe lifted so that itmay be readily grasped by the. operator of the can opener, .to be manipulated froman obstructing position.

--Another objectof the invention is the provision of a can having a top 'wallin a generallysingle plane andan opening cut out of such top wall within its peripheryfi i r Another object of the invention is the provision of an opening in the can, which may be of any desired shapeand may be made without refer With these and other objects in view,the invention consists'of certain novel features of construction; as willbe more'fully described, and particularly pointedout in the appended-claims.

In the accompanying drawings:

Fig. 1- is a perspective view with my opener. I Fig; 2is a perspective view of a fragmental portion of the top of the can, showing the end of my opener as lifted and the tearing of the top of the can started.

Fig. 3 is a viewsimilar to Fig. 2 but showing the tearing operation for opening the can as almost completed,

' Fig. 4 is a top plan view of the can.

Fig. 5 is a bottom view showing the under surface of the top wall of the can. I

Fig. 6 is a sectional view illustratingthe contour of the top of the can forming the guide track for the severingmember.

Fig. 7 is a sectional view of a modified form ofcantop. a v

Fig. 8 is a sectional view of a different modifled form of can top. I

Fig. 9 is a top plan view of a still different modifled form of can top and showing a larger can of a can equipped is the use of a when opened isnot with the opening as located eccentric to the center of the top. I

Fig. 10 is' a topplan view of a difierently shaped can, and showing amodified arrangement of the opening device. i

Fig. 1,1 is anelevational view of a modified form of handle for the severing member.

Some cans are providedwith opening devices consisting of a key to rollup or tear a strip of the metal of the can. Such an opening device has a limited application and frequently breaks or the keymay become lost and in order to provide for opening the flat top of 'a can sothat a portion of the top wall may be removed orsevered to such an extent that it may be bent back to expose the contents of the can in a simple and inexpensive manneigwithout additional parts, I have provided the top wall of: the can with a guide track for deflecting the stock of the can and weaken a portion of the stock and then by positioninga severing member beneaththis weakened top wall with its end projecting thruI may pull on this severing member to cause thesame to tear the weakened portion of the topwall and by arranging the guidewtrack in a manner to determine both the size andshape of the opening I may sever the top wall in any desired shape or size irrespectiveof the size or shape of the can and without reference 'to its peripheral edge; and the following is a more detailed description of the present embodiment of this invention illustrating the preferred means by which these advantageous results may be accomplished:

With reference to the drawings, l5 designates the bottom wall ofa can with vertically rising side walls l6 which maybe of any shape altho that shown in Figs. 1 to 9 inclusive, illustrate a cylindrical can. Cans of this character are frequently hermetically sealed and are supplied without the top wall to permit of easy filling of. the can with that which it is to carry, after which the top wall is placed over the open end in contact with the side wall or walls It and then by a rolling process the edge of this top wall is sealed and firmly bound to the side wall. To open a can of 'this character, the housewifeusually inserts a pointed instrument, frequently called a can opener, and cuts the top wall at a distance spacedinwardly from the peripheral edge thereof and guided by this edge so that the top of the can except its outer edge may be lifted or bent back to expose the contents of the can. However, I have provided a can opener which is a permanent part of the can and secured tothe'top wall, the coniiguration of which assists the opener which I have provided. The top wall isdesignated in the drawings, generally l1, and as shown inFigs. 6, 7 and 8, the edge portion l8 of this top wall is rolled over the side wall IS in a manner to securely attach it in position and seal it on such wall.

At a point inwardly from the peripheral edge II which is rolled over the side -wall I, the top wall is bent inwardly usually by means of a die, to provide a vertically extending track I9 presenting a guide surface 20 on the outer surface thereof which provides a guide for flexible member 2|, usually formed of a wire or any material which is sufliciently tough to tear or cut the top wall of the can adjacent the guide track. The top portion which is to be cut is shown in Fig. 6 at 22 as somewhat thinned by the pressure utilized for forcing the vertical wall I! inwardly at its desired location and which may be further thinned by a rib on the die to indent it on the underside. A flexible member 2| lies snugly against the guiding surface 20 and against the under surface of the portion 22 of the top wall which is to be out being positioned in the corner at theiuncture of these two surfaces, as illustrated in the sectional views of Figs. 6 and 7.

, One of theends of the flexible member 2i extends thru a hole 23 in the top wall for anclfdring it at this point from which it extends into engagement withthe surface 20 circularly about the top of the can beneath the'surface 22 to a point adjacent the anchored end 23 and there passes back thru an opening 24 in the top wall of the portion 22 thereof and terminates in a loop 25 which may be formed from the wire by doubling it upon itself and fastening it by twisting as at 26, or may be formed by a separate ring 21, see Fig. 12, secured to the wire by twisting as at 28. The openings 28 and 24 may be sealed by solder, or any suitable sealing material. The loop 25 provides a handle thru which a flnger may be placed so that for opening the can, it is merely necessary to pull on the-handle 2| which will cause the flexible member 2| to tear the thinned surface 22 at a point adJacent the wall l9, whereby the tear will follow the wall I! to form an opening of a shape and of the desired size depending upon the shape and size of the vertical wall I! and its guide surface 2. which is pressed into the top of the can. In order that this handle portion 25 may be conveniently housed in the top of the can, I have pressed into the top of, the can a recess 28 at a location adjacent the-opening 24 so as to receive the handle 21, see Fig. 2. I

The stock.inwar'dly from the guide or vertical wall I. may be of various configurations, I have illustrated it in Fig. 'l as raised as at 29, to be at a level substantially the same as the portion 22, altho I have indicated it in Fig. 6 as depressed thrua greater area.

In Fig. 8, instead of forming the vertical guide wall II by forcing the guide wall or track inwardly, I haveforced it up into a U-shaped formation 80 providing spaced vertical walls 3i and 82, the latter of which-serves as a guide for directing the flexible member 2| in its desired course about the top of the can.

In Fig. 9,1 have illustrated the top wall 33 with its-portion 84 to be opened located eccentric to the center of this top wall II which may be conveniently used where a large container is desired to be but partially opened to permit of access thereto. v b

I have also, illustrated in Fig. 10, a container of rectangular cross section having a top wall 35 with an irregularly shaped formation generally elliptical, designated 36, which is to, be opened. The guide wall designated 31, and the flexible member with its handle housed in a convenlent position for operating. "'Ihis is particularly desirable where liquid is to be poured from the can as the'liquid is thus better controlledin handling the same. 7

It will be seen that the opener which I have provided is unlimited as to the shape and size of the opening which it may cut in a surface in a single plane that is carried by the can and that it is'always accessible and that the deflecting of the stock for the guide track also stifl'ens the wall and strengthens the wall in which the guide track is thus formed.

The foregoing description is directed solely towards the construction illustrated, but I desire it to be understood that I reserve the privilege of resorting to all the mechanical changes to which the device is susceptible, the invention being deflned and limited only by the terms of the appended claims. a

I claim:

1. A can top comprising a single thickness of sheet stock having a substantially annular horizontal portion, a peripheral sealing edge extending therefrom, a vertical wall extending downwardly from said horizontal portion, a web portion. closing the center of the vertical wall, the entire configuration of said top being free from overhanging portions and. capable of being formed between matched dies in a single pressure operation, and a flexible severing member secured at the right angular juncture of said horizontal and vertical portions of said top with one end extending thru said horizontal portion and provided with a handle for engaging and pullingthe same, and the other end being secured adjacent said juncture at a point spaced along said extent of the severing member from said pulling end.

2. A can top of a singlepiece of sheet stock comprising a substantially annular horizontal portion, a peripheral sealing edge extending therefrom, a vertical wall extending downwardly from said horizontal portion and doubled back to provide a generally U-shaped bend with the vertical portions of the formation spaced, a

web portion connecting the inner edge of said U- shaped wall, the entire configuration of said top being free from overhanging portions and capable of being formed between matched dies in a single pressure operation, and a flexible severing member located at the right angular juncture of said horizontal hand-outer vertical portions of said top with one end extending thru and fastened in said horizontal portion and the other end extending thru said horizontal portion and provided with a handle to be engaged for pulling the same.

3. A can top of a single piece of sheet stock comprising a substantially annular horizontal portion, a peripheral sealing edge extending therefrom, a vertical wall extending from said portion providing a guide track, the entire configuration of said top being free from overhanging portions and capable of being formed between matched dies in a single pressure operation, a flexible severing member extending about and secured adjacent said vertical wall to be guided thereby with one end extending thru the top and secured thereto and the other end ex-' 

